How is rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed?

Written by Yang Ya Meng

Rheumatology

Updated on February 10, 2025

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Rheumatoid arthritis examinations include blood tests and imaging studies.

The blood tests include complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, anti-streptococcal antibodies, ANA, anti-CCP antibodies, and anti-AKA antibodies.

Imaging studies involve X-ray examinations of the hand joints. If the patient has significant increases in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, positive CCP and AKA antibodies, and the X-rays show bone destruction, then rheumatoid arthritis can be considered as a diagnosis.

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Is joint pain rheumatoid arthritis?

Firstly, it should be noted that there are many causes of joint pain in clinical practice, and it is not necessarily caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Of course, rheumatoid arthritis can also cause joint pain in patients. In addition, there are some other reasons, for example, local joint bacterial infection in patients can also cause joint pain. Furthermore, joint injuries leading to fractures, dislocations, soft tissue damage, ligament injuries, and meniscus injuries can also cause joint pain. Additionally, the presence of osteoarthritis or gouty arthritis can similarly lead to joint pain in patients.

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Rheumatoid arthritis skin manifestations

Rheumatoid arthritis does not have specific skin manifestations. Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune-mediated erosive arthritis, clinically characterized by systemic symmetrical multiple joint swelling and pain, accompanied by morning stiffness, often lasting for more than an hour. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect the proximal interphalangeal joints and middle joints of both hands, as well as both wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles, knees, and other joints. Some patients may experience involvement of the temporomandibular joint. Rheumatoid arthritis can also have extrarticular manifestations, such as affecting the hematological system, which may result in mild to moderate anemia, or affecting the lungs, which can lead to interstitial pneumonia or pulmonary fibrosis.

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Can rheumatoid arthritis be cured?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by systemic damage to multiple joints with an unclear cause. Thus, it cannot be cured, meaning it cannot be completely healed. Treatment can only alleviate joint pain and morning stiffness through medication, delay the onset of complications, reduce bone damage, decrease disability rates, and improve quality of life. This is the comprehensive purpose of treatment. Therefore, early diagnosis and standardized treatment of this disease are essential to prevent joint deformities and to maintain quality of life.

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How is rheumatoid arthritis treated?

The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is divided into general treatment and pharmacological treatment. General treatment mainly involves avoiding overexertion, having a light diet, and not staying up late. Pharmacological treatment is mainly divided into treatment during the acute flare-up phase and the remission phase. The acute phase focuses on anti-inflammatory and pain relief treatments, with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as the first choice, such as etoricoxib, meloxicam, or celecoxib. If the effect is not satisfactory, low-dose corticosteroid therapy may be combined. In the remission phase, slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs are preferred, such as methotrexate, leflunomide, or sulfasalazine. If the slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs are not effective, biologic agents such as tumor necrosis factor antagonists or JAK inhibitors may be combined.

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Written by Yang Ya Meng

Rheumatology

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How is rheumatoid arthritis treated?

The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis mainly falls into three categories: The first category includes anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medications, which are further divided into non-steroidal pain-relief drugs and low-dose corticosteroids. For rheumatoid arthritis, the most crucial treatment involves the choice of the second category: slow-acting drugs. Common drugs used in treating the key aspects of rheumatoid arthritis include immunosuppressants such as methotrexate and leflunomide. If the patient does not respond well to the above two conventional treatments, a third option that can be considered is treatment with biological agents. Commonly used biological agents include tumor necrosis factor antagonists. Before using biological agents, it is necessary to strictly rule out hepatitis, tuberculosis, and neoplastic diseases. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor)